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High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance Announced Mission: Set Design Guidelines for Secure HD AV Networks
Industry leaders have joined together to form the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance (HANA) whose goal is to create a design guideline for secure high definition audio visual networks that will speed the creation of new, higher quality, easier to use HD products. Founding members include Charter Communications, JVC, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., NBC Universal, Samsung and Sun Microsystems, with contributing members ARM, Freescale Semiconductor and Pulse~LINK. "HANA brings together content providers, consumer electronics, service providers and IT with the sole purpose of addressing HD needs such as quality of service, ease of use and content protection," said Dr. Heemin Kwon, HANA president and Samsung executive vice president. "Since HANA is a cross-industry effort with members from each of the impacted HD industries, we can achieve the 'win-win' necessary to commercialize HD networks. HANA is a milestone among industry alliances because we are starting in the living room, not the home office." The Alliance's mission is to create industry design guidelines, utilizing existing technology and specifications, that will help enable consumers to:
"A major benefit of HANA's initiatives will be the ability for one remote control to manage all of the video equipment that gets connected to a HANA network," said Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst with In-Stat. "This 'one remote control per room' capability is a major breakthrough and presents a tremendous opportunity for consumers to finally be able to have easy access to all their home video content." Currently, HANA is working with standards bodies, such as the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), CableLabs, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and the 1394 Trade Association, to utilize their technologies in enabling HD content sharing around the home. Beginning early next year, HANA plans to work with Advanced Access Content System (AACS), Open Media Commons and other digital rights management technologies to give consumers new flexibility in using content across the entire home network, including moving content across multiple devices such as portable video players. Copyright detection technology in HANA products will help consumers to access all of their personal video content while protecting content providers from piracy. HANA's anti-piracy measures will also help enable content providers to make new and exciting HD content available to consumers in a more timely manner. Eventually the group also will be exploring advanced video compression technologies, interactive content, enhanced security, OpenCable Applications Platform and wireless extensions. HANA's first commercial products are expected to be available at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology. HANA-compliant products are expected to include HDTVs, next-generation DVD players, personal video recorders, set top cable boxes and home theaters. The Alliance plans to facilitate compatibility among various manufacturers' products through compliance testing and HANA-organized developers' conferences.
To get more information on the Alliance, its participating companies and membership, visit HANA\'s Web site.
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...we can achieve the 'win-win' necessary to commercialize HD networks. 
High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance Announced
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